Chapter Text
[Without fanfare, the video begins. A woman stands in an empty room, arm stretched behind the camera to turn it on. She retracts her arm and takes a step back, looking into the lens. She wears an open lab coat with an orange button-up shirt underneath. White text appears in the bottom left of the screen, reading "GARDENVIEW RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT" beneath her name and role in the company:]
DARE
Hello and welcome to Gardenview R&D! My name is Jennifer Dare from the bioengineering department. The purpose of these tapes will be to serve as an archive as well as a resource for anyone who may join the team in the future. Making myself useful around here also helps, but that's beside the point.
You'll be working for a branch of Gardenview Entertainment, headed by Arthur Walton. The company was known for animated shorts before achieving success with the recently-released cartoon Dandy's World. The show was released in anticipation of their larger goal, creating spaces for educating children. You will likely not interface at all with the creative side of the organization, and will instead report to the head of research at Gardenview and Arthur Walton's close friend, Doctor Delilah Keen.
Already I'm sure you're thinking there has been a logical leap: what would an animation studio looking to build an educational centre want with a group of chemists and biologists? I can assure you that the research we will conduct here will not only be crucially important for the success of the company, but also make breakthroughs you will not be able to achieve anywhere else. A second tape will be provided to you soon containing further details, but for now I aim to speak in broader terms.
[She pulls out a sheet of paper from off-screen]
I asked Doctor Keen for anything she would like to say for people who are just joining the project, and she wrote the following:
"Do not anthropomorphize. Our research will involve entities who appear cute, even adorable. You may feel disarmed by their presence, and filled with a sense to nurture or protect. This is by design. You will soon find that the truth is much more complicated than appearances suggest. What seems harmless may turn deadly in an instant. Your job will consist of making these beings safe for the public, so remain vigilant at all times; never let your guard down."
This all sounds like good advice to me, and I will explain why in the following tape. In the meantime, it should also give you an idea as to what we will be working on here. Make sure to remain safe while also pushing our understanding forward. Welcome to the team.
[She reaches her arm behind the camera once more, and the video stops]